Lucid Dreams
by intoxicatedeulogy
Summary: Jun was always the weak link, the one without talent or looks. She sees nothing special in herself, but maybe she wasn't looking deep enough.
1. I

I

 _I'm married you know. I thought that… Well, at least that you would show up._

 _Oh… Congratulations. Was that what the invitation was for?_

It would never happen, and harping on it would result in a rift. Their lives merely led in different directions. There wasn't anything worth doing, and the past was already set in stone, as was the future.

 _Why? I mean, don't you still… We can… Don't you care?_

 _Not enough to stop you_

Things had started out simple enough. The first time that Shishido and Jun met was way back in elementary. Jun had made fun of Shishido's name, which she said sounded like a shampoo her mother had used. Shishido twitched, but ignored her. He would never beat up a _girl._ They had little quarrels here and there throughout their school years, but they had only really started their little friendship years later. Which grade, Jun wasn't sure enough, but she guesses it to be around grade 4, when Shishido had shown incredible talent in tennis.

His parents were ecstatic, and took him to see Roger Federer perform all the way in Australia that summer. She was in his class when he came back, and she saw him brag about his tennis gear which was personally signed by Federer. She was there when he left his shirt randomly thrown on the floor, tripping and tangling a boy. In his haste to get untangled; the boy had ripped the sleeve off.

Shishido was devastated. His parents were going to be mad at him. They had spent a small fortune on that signature, hell even the shirt was custom made by the best tailors in the country to fit young Shishido's body. If Shishido had bought a ripped sleeve home, he was going to get yelled at, badly. Maybe his allowance would be cut off. Just thinking about it made the young Shishido want to cry. His parents never punished him (he was a good kid), but he thinks today might be an exception. Jun doesn't know what made her help him, but it might have had something to do with the fact that she had never seen him close to tears. She was sympathetic to the prideful young boy, the golden child, the _perfect golden child._ She's never seen him so _human._

Before they leave for home, Jun goes up to him, and offered to mend the shirt for him. Shishido was skeptical, but he had nothing to lose, so he might as well agree. She folds the shirt and stuffs it in her large jacket. That night, she sneaks into her brother's room, and steals his thinnest needle. The one that she was not allowed to touch. In the beginning, the stitching had so many errors that Jun regretted her offer. Pulling out stitches was a pain. But the end result was flawless; it looked like her father had done it. She hurriedly folds it, the way that they do it in stores, and hides it in one of the many layers in her bag.

Shishido had spent the night restless, tossing and turning. The moment he got home, he rushed to his room, making an excuse about homework. He gave a long call to Gakotu, debating if he wanted to betray Jun, or trust a 9 year old girl fix a polo shirt. After a long time of arguing back and forth; he decided to be honourable after all. Shishido would not blame Jun if she failed to fix his shirt. However, there would be hell to pay should his parents ever find out.


	2. II

II

 _So you still do. That's… Good, isn't it?_

 _Does it matter? We're not important._

The next day, she gives it to him with flourish, he grins, and she's sure she never saw him happier. He takes her right hand, and kisses it. Jun blinks, and wipes her hand on his shirt. He stuffs the mended shirt in his bag and he's gone.

They start talking after that. It started with something small, like a wave in the halls, or a quick "What was for homework?" and "What did you get on that test?"

Shishido and Jun became friends. Throughout elementary and middle school, they would play together almost every day. Then, Atobe came, and Shishido was not the genius child anymore. He had to work. Compared to Shishido and Atobe, Jun was still as talentless as ever. There was nothing she was passionate in. The distance between them grew, and by the time they went to high school, well, they were practically strangers.


	3. III

III

 _I promised you. They promised us. It's not fair. If we-_

 _No… No we can't. It doesn't matter, not a crisis, you know?_

Jun was the middle child in a family of artists. Her father was French, and her mother was Japanese, giving their children an exotic look. Her mother is a pastier, who was famous worldwide. She opened her first shop in Paris, where her father, a painter, was opening his fifth art museum, just a block away. He goes to her café, she serves him, and the perfect love story begins.

They both go to Japan, her mother's home. Her father continues to open museums and galleries, and paints many more artworks that gains salesmen's interest and gets them paying a hefty sum. Her mother opens a chain of restaurants and cafés alike.

From there, their story gets better. They give birth to three children, first a boy, four years later, a girl, and wait three years, another girl. They had named their boy Shun, _talented._ And talented he most certainly was. He could paint realism, break-dance, and recite Shakespeare. But the most impressive thing was that he wrote stories, poems, and song lyrics at the age of seven. He won national awards for his pieces of literature. His parents pulled him out of Japan in his second middle school year, and sent him to a special academy in England, just for creative writing.

Compared to Shun, Jun was average enough to just be smart. She didn't excel in any subject in particular, and wasn't pretty enough to make up for her lack of talent. Her parents tried to teach her everything, from arithmetic to dancing, to writing, to sports; she just didn't shine in anything.

Her parents took this for two whole years: starting from when she was seven, and ending when she was nine. When Jun asks about why they stopped, her parents said that they didn't mind that she wasn't like her brother; she was still special in some way. They said that they wanted to let her decide her passion for herself.

But Jun knew the real answer.

They had given up on her, and turned to her little sister. They discovered her talent when Jun was learning how to play instruments. She learnt the guitar, trumpet, drums, piano, violin, and the harp. It was cute that she could play, but she wasn't the best in her class for any of the following. Her parents were giving up, and were going to focus solely on Shun. _Let's hope that Jun marries a rich man,_ they said. _Drop a few of her classes and make her spend more time with her governess to learn manners._

Then, her little sister, Aika, who was just six at that time, was using her feet to bang on her drums, in perfect imitation of Jun just moments ago.

Her parents immediately took her to the doctor after they heard. After several therapies, hospitals, and expert's opinions, they found her a private music teacher. While reading and playing music would be normal for a regular child, it was not the case for Aika. She was born blind in both eyes. Nothing could help her. She wasn't going to get better.

Aika was a prodigy child after all. She had an amazing sense of music. She can listen to a musical piece, about a few pages long, and copy it perfectly. After she just turned 8, she was already on the same level as Jun, and Jun played _years_ longer than Aika. She even started singing lessons, which she aced.


	4. IV

IV

 _Fuck this. Fuck it all. They don't give a shit. I'm not- I'm not like them. Why can't you see?!_

 _There isn't anything to see. We carry out mundane lives. Eat gluttonously, spend money extravagantly._

 _But when we die, we all end up the same. Nothing we can do about it. Sobering, huh?_

So Jun was normal. She accepted that fact. Still, her family was so perfect, and she was the only flaw. Heck, her _younger_ sister was better than her by leaps and bounds. But Jun was adaptable. She allowed herself to be marked as the unsuccessful child. Every family needs one of that to compare, to show off the actual geniuses. She was good at keeping to herself, her feelings come and go like the wind. Nothing bothered her about her current situation.

Then, she goes to high school, and she gets agitated, something that rarely happens, because the girls start showing off their bodies, their money. They excel in everything, and attract popular, wealthy-boys. Their families get better and stronger, and they have a kingdom to invest in. They live comfortably in high-maintenance, for the rest of their lives.

Was it alright for Jun to want to be like that? She wants her parents to be proud of her. She needs to be useful. It was time to become her own boss, create her own business. However, her parent's did not invest evenly into each of their businesses and their future. When her parents started giving loans, Jun was the only child who did not have a business.

The family were sitting in the family office. Artworks classily covered the walls in vibrant, thin strokes. The three children stood in front of a long office desk, with their father and mother sitting behind it. Their mother's hands were clasped tightly on her lap, their father twirled a pen between his fingers. Everyone wore formal clothing, even her mother, who has rarely wore clothing other than yoga pants and a baker's apron.

Her brother was starting a gallery, similar to their father, where he could write and design. He would work in his own studio, slowly building himself. He already had several investors, and had years of writing experience already.

 _Shun, your father will invest 97 million yen to your company._

Shun shakes his father's hands.

 _I will not let you down. The company will progress far under my care._

Her sister proposed her own company, shaped by music and her talent of performing.

 _I can take the same as Ni-san! Really! I can._

Did Jun mention that she absolutely hated her sister? She did now. Aika could never read the mood, or rather, chose to simply ignore it.

 _Well… You might a little inexperienced. We don't know how well you can handle the public-_

 _Please! I can do it! I'm in touch with society! I got an invitation to sing and play the piano at a party all the way in LA! Come July, and I'm going to be performing in one of the concert halls in Austria! And then- New York, after that, Beijing, and then, then-_

 _Okay, okay. Take a breath dear. We were originally going to give you 60 million yen, and that's already more than Jun. But you'll be taking from her. O-Only if she allows it, of course._

The last sentence was an afterthought. It stung.

 _Why can't you take from Aniki -_ was on the tip of her tongue. She held it back. She didn't want to hear the answer, not from them.

Seeing her hesitation, their father spoke up.

 _See, we planned to invest 60 million in Aika and 55 million for Jun. Remember, it's up to Jun to give you however much she wants. She doesn't have to, remember._

Smiling, Jun pretends it didn't feel like a chunk of her flesh was hacked off instead of the share. It was only fair to give the more successful more value. All Jun could do, was think about her measly _55 million_ yen.

 _It's alright. I'll give Aika 5 million yen. Don't let me down, Aika._

 _Oh Jun. You're so kind to your sister! I'm sorry about only giving 50 million. If you had a solid business plan, we would reconsider the amount. Maybe if you talk with Shun…_

Cue awkward silence and staring.

This was their family. Jun's parents never finished their sentence around Jun. It always trailed off, leaving Jun to place the blanks. They were taking advantage of her, not allowing themselves be the bad guys. She responded with _its fine_ every time. It annoyed Jun to no end.

What could Jun do? The best she could was to marry kind-of rich, out of love, of course. No one wants an arranged marriage with a talentless, fortuneless, average girl. Even her parents didn't give her the option of creating her own business. She wasn't fit for being a leader.

 _Say your thanks to Jun, Aika dear._

 _Thank you very much, nee-san._

Aika bows, slightly deeper than normal. It didn't make Jun feel better one bit.

 _You're welcome._ Jun grits this out, because she had manners _since they fucking paid someone 10,000 yen an hour_ to teach it to her.

And so, this was how Jun ended up with the least amount of investments amongst three children. Rumours floated around her everywhere, especially at the next social gathering. Walking back to her car, she heard a group of friends talking to one another.

 _Was there anyone to your liking at this party?_

 _The Hadaka family's son was handsome. He's gifted as well._

 _The youngest daughter is getting a lot of investors too. I heard she got the largest stock from her parents._

 _Wasn't the girl blind? No wonder their parents gave her so much._

 _No, no. That girl is touring the world, playing the piano and all that. Performing songs and everything, haven't you heard?_

 _What about the middle child?_

 _Who?_

Life officially sucked after the share decision was made public. Jun could feel eyes, mocking her, whispering about how she wasn't a very eligible bachelorette. Why go for Jun when you can get Aika? Sure, one might argue about physical disability, but now you know being handsome is not that important. Things were already hard enough at school before, but that couldn't even compare with now. Barely anyone spared Jun a second glance. Even her friends, after comforting her, asked for Shun's phone number.

It was also around this time when the tennis team, full of athletic and hot boys, was newly selected. The non-tennis members stood around, betting on their choice.

Jun and her friends all held various decisions. Ayame, the daughter of a doctor and a movie director, decided on Choutaru.

 _He's so sweet and cute! Look at him! He's the type of boy who would give you chocolates on White day._

The rest of the friends laughed.

 _Ayame sweetie-chan, Choutaru-kun would never go for the likes of you. You'd influence him in a way that would leave him scarred for the rest of his life. Besides, I bet he likes good girls._

 _Ah… Every good boy needs a bad girl. I can be a good girl too if I wanted to. Ne, Ne, Ne. Jun-chan? You're close with Shishido right? Get him to figure out what types of girls Choutaru likes?_

 _We're… not that close anymore. Even if we were, he isn't the type of person to talk about his team mates behind their back._

 _Oh well… Say, Sakura-chan? You're awfully quiet. Which boy do you like?_

 _You know who._

 _It's still Atobe-kun? Are you serious?_

It was true that Jun wasn't very close to Shishido anymore. They hardly spoke to each other after entering high school. They were only in their second year, and Jun was already done with this school. This meant that throughout the years, she didn't join any clubs, no after school extracurricular, which made her more of an outcast than normal. Compared with Shishido joining the most popular club in the entire school, Jun was not worth noticing.

Suddenly, the girls around Jun squeal and ducks, some even running away. Confused, Jun stands up to leave with them. Just as she was standing up, a tennis ball came out of nowhere, hitting her foot, and bouncing up to hit her face as well. Upset and even more confused, Jun holds her mouth, feeling blood trickling out.

Tears spring into her eyes and Jun could feel the split formed on her upper lip. Somewhere to her right, she hears a short _shit._ People around her laugh, scorning her, with some even taking photos. Humiliated, she tries to move around the crowd gathered around her towards the school where she can go to the nurse's office. A sharp snap ceases the laughing voices around her. Even Jun stops, fully aware of the person behind the finger snap. It was _the_ Atobe.

 _Shishido, what in heaven's name was that shot? Do you expect to achieve anything when you hit like that?_

 _Che, don't be so dramatic Atobe. I'll apologize, isn't that enough?_

 _No, no, no._

Atobe emphasizes each _no_ with a sharp shake of his head that sent his hair flying.

 _What will happen to our tennis team if word of this comes out? You must accompany her to the infirmary. After that, we'll focus on some drills for accuracy. Accidents like this shall never happen again._

Scoffing, Shishido looked as if he was about to argue, but knowing the stubbornness of Atobe, he decided against it. Instead, he simply turned and walked in the direction of the school. Running after him, Jun cups her mouth with her hand as blood drips through her fingers. Shishido does not look back, not even once, as they walk inside the nurse's office.

 _The nurse isn't here._

 _No shit Sherlock._

Glaring, Shishido whirls around and looks at Jun for the first time.

 _I'm assuming you don't need my help then._

 _If you have somewhere else to be, then by all means, leave._

Jun was feeling annoyed enough. The photos of her bleeding were probably circling online as they spoke. People have always bullied her, ever since going into high school as an outcast; she made enemies much quicker than friends. In fact, even among her group of friends, you couldn't be sure who was going to turn on you. Point being, the photos weren't going to post themselves, and she should prepare herself for some hard school days.

 _Well? Aren't you going to leave?_

 _I… I'll wait with you. I don't feel like doing the drills._

 _Sorry about that. It seems like I am always in the wrong place at the wrong time._

Her speech was garbled as blood flowed past her lips.

 _No. Not really. It was my fault. I mean, I shouldn't have hit it so far out anyways. So, I'll stay until the nurse comes._

Jun was still bleeding profusely. Shishido walked across the room, grabbing a handful of gauze and tissue paper from a cabinet. He then ushers Jun onto the bed, sitting next to her and helps clean up the blood.

 _Hey, uh… I don't mean to make you upset, or more upset than you already are…_

 _What?_

 _There were some girls taking photos of you. Aren't they your friends?_

 _It's fine. They don't really bother me._

 _But the photos are going to be leaked!_

 _As I said, it doesn't bother me._

 _It might bother Atobe though._

They sat in silence. Shishido was still cleaning up the blood. He seemed to be unable to grasp the idea of being used to bullying. Jun wasn't surprised. Shishido was a popular boy. Sheltered from the backstabbers and liars she's dealt with before. She wonders how they have changed so much over so little time.


	5. V

V

 _Well… That's a depressing way to view the world. You were always cynical._

 _And you were always stubborn._

 _I just want to be with you._

The last time something like this happened, why, it was just last month. Although it didn't happen at school, it was at a high-class party, and many of her classmates showed up. She had gone with her brother; her younger sister was performing that night.

It started off nice enough. A few glasses of champagne; a few bites of the appetizer. Shun had disappeared somewhere, as he often does, leaving Jun in the middle of the dance floor. She hadn't paid much attention. Then, a rather cute boy appears. Now, usually, Jun never initiates flirting, and especially not in a public place like this. But this boy was just cute enough for her to regret not trying. So she goes, and smiles. Giggling, twirling her dark locks around her fingers. Jun's technique could use some improvements, some would say. But the boy gave in easily. That should have been a warning sign -perhaps he was of lower class- but Jun was a bit tipsy, and the boy _was_ cute.

They dance around, touching each other, leaning in close, breathing in each other's scent. Jun sees people stop and do a double-take, and wonder if the boy is of someone important. _Surely not,_ Jun thinks. She would remember this face when reviewing the top business owner's family. She does not think much about the reaction, living in the moment.

Eventually, they separate and Jun has managed to get a phone number, a selfie, and a cute peck on the lips. She's never going to call, but she just wants a memory of the cute boy that showed interest in her. It was something to brag to her friends about at least. The end of the party was near. She finds her brother sitting on a bench in the garden, basking in the moonlight, drinking wine and reciting poetry.

 _Hey, Shun-ni? The party's over. Let's go home._

 _Yes, let's. But let's also sit here for a while. I'm feeling inspired._

Knowing better than to argue, Jun sits next to her brother and listens to him recite into the darkness.

 _[Clown in the Moon–Dylan Thomas]_

 _My tears are like the quiet drift_

 _Of petals from some magic rose;_

 _And all my grief flows from the rift_

 _Of unremembered skies and snows._

 _I think, that if I touched the earth,_

 _It would crumble;_

 _It is so sad and beautiful_

 _Tremulously like a dream_

Shun's eyes were closed, lips curled back to form a soft smile. Hundreds of girls would kill to be in Jun's position right now, she realized. It's been some time since she's seen her brother so peaceful, so relaxed. Conversation flowed between them; Jun knew quite a bit on Dylan Thomas herself. Things strayed, and Jun found herself talking about the mysterious boy.

 _Speaking of love, ni-san. I met the cutest boy I have ever laid my eyes on. That boy was… Mm. Look at him._

Jun fumbles around with her phone and shows the selfie they took.

 _That's him?! Jun! Are you sure you know who he is?_

 _Why? What does he do?_

 _He's Roan Shaku. He comes from a family of loan sharks. Fucking rich, but… People here don't really like them, but they're influential enough for people to turn a blind eye. I don't want you to associate with them._

Jun thought about telling him that she wasn't interested. However, it was so unfair for Shun to think that he could just control who she interacted with. Alcohol always gave her courage to be irrational, and irrational she was.

 _But he's the only one who shows interest in me. I can't lose this chance just because of his family's job. Anyways, not everyone can be like you, talented and smart enough to get a proper job in this world._

 _This isn't about talent or intelligence. No matter what, they should never resort to scamming people. And that's putting it lightly._

Jun stood up, furious. She raised her voice, jabbing a sharp nail into Shun's clothed arm.

 _That's easy for you to say. You already paved a path for yourself in this world. Why do you belittle other people's attempts to do the same?_

Shun stood up as well, only to lay his hand on Jun's arm with a sharp look on his face. She snaps her mouth closed and takes a deep breath.

 _We will continue this conversation in the car._

Still angry, she turns and stomps away. She knows she's being petty, but… Shun was given everything! He was given all the good genes, the good fortunes, the good life. If she were in Roan Shaku's shoes, she would become a loan shark as well. Money makes the world go round, after all.

Inside the car, it was deathly silent. They sat for a few moments, not looking at each other. It was Shun who first broke the silence.

 _I know you want to grow up. I was just like you. But our family has a reputation we have to maintain; a reputation of sophistication and nobleness. Don't you think it's a bit selfish for you to ruin what mother and father have built?_

Jun grits her teeth and looks away, staring at the dark sky. Tears prickle the corners of her eyes, and she could feel the stinging lump in her throat. Swallowing, she leans back into her seat. Getting chewed out by her parents sucked, but it happened so frequently she got used to it. Shun rarely got cross, and if he did, it was probably her fault. Her older brother's approval meant the world to her, but she was the main scapegoat for the entire family. It doesn't make getting scolded by Shun any less painful, no, in fact, it makes it even worse.

 _Your first boyfriend and you choose Roan Shaku? Seriously!_

Shun puts the car in drive, and leaves the mansion. Jun was still not looking at him, glaring outside of the window, willing her tears not to fall. Shun mistakes this for annoyance, raising his voice.

 _Why do you even want to get into a relationship? Even if you did, you would not last very long. I know the Shaku family. They would not be interested in a simple girl like you._

Jun flinches. The words _simple girl_ echoes inside her thoughts. But of course! How could she have been so stupid? She was not even good enough for the lowest rankings of people here tonight _._ She looks over at Shun, glaring, tears catching on to her eyelashes and snarls.

 _You think I don't know that? Of course they wouldn't. If my own family doesn't give a shit about me, then who would? You think I want to date people like him? I don't! I want to date a nice, educated person as well, but I can't! No one will lower their standards for me!_

Eyes going big, Shun notices for the first time how hurt Jun was by his words. Jun aggressively waves her arms in anger. The emotions that she tried hard to bottle in, the resentment she held for her brother who was everything she could never be, it all exploded in Shun's face.

 _Mother and father don't care about me, and you should stop pretending like you do. When I grow older, I'm going to have to provide for myself! I'll take whatever rich boy I can get! Not like you give a shit. All you care about is your reputation._

Shun becomes silent. Jun looks away again, furiously wiping her eyes. A few tense moments of emptiness pass. Suddenly, Shun rests his hand on top of Jun's head. Unable to hold it back any longer, Jun bursts into tears.

 _Shh…Shh… Ni-san is sorry… I just don't want to see you get hurt. I didn't mean simple in a bad way. No, no. Jun, you're just as special as anyone. I know mother and father may be harsh on you, but they were worse with me. And, and, of course I care about you, Jun. I care so much, and I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like anything else._

 _I'm sorry too, ni-san._

 _I won't tell mother or father about this, alright? Please stop crying._

Jun eventually sniffled to a stop. However, as she got home, her parents seemed to have already seen the news.

 _Jun! What is the meaning of this? The Shaku family contacted us, saying you led their boy on! Pictures all over the internet! This is a bad scandal, Jun! What will become of us? We are one of the most respectable families, the Hadaka, in a scandal!_

 _Please calm down mother. Jun was simply dancing with random people at the party. It must be a misunderstanding._

 _Misunderstanding?_

The deep voice of her father shook Jun out of her stupor. Shrinking behind Shun, she trembled. Her father was a nice man, so nice, in fact, he rarely raised his voice. Just like Shun, it meant something terrible. His eyebrows were raised; face pale and body trembling with unkempt rage.

 _Do not cover for her, Shun. She needs to be taught a proper lesson. We have been too lax. Jun, go to your father._

 _Mother, please. Do calm down._

 _Listen to your mother Shun. Stop hiding your sister._

 _Mother, father, I have already spoken to Jun about this on the way back. She promises nothing is going to happen. She is not going to do anything with the Roan family._

 _Bullshit._

The harsh sound of her mother's words shattered Jun. She starts crying again, covering her face with her hands. The waterproof mascara she chose to wear today was a good idea after all. At the sound of Jun's crying, her mother snapped. Stalking over, she shook off her husband's hands which tried to stop her, push aside Shun's body that blocked Jun, and yanked at Jun's hair, pulling her to the ground where she knelt. She had meant for it to be a light pull, but the sight of Jun's pained expression seemed to say otherwise.

 _You stupid child! What were you thinking! Do you even think when you do anything?! You utter idiot! Why would you whore yourself out to the likes of them? Do you do this with every man you see? Have you no shame? Do you want to grow up to be a prostitute?_

Jun sobs even harder at her mother's words. Both men tries to calm her down, but she only gets more furious. Her voice grows louder and louder, until Jun's cracked sobs die down.

 _I'm sorry - mother, I'm so-sorry._

 _Hey, Kikuyu. Stop yelling at our daughter like that. Calm down._

Taking a deep breath, Jun's mother's speaks again in a strangled voice.

 _I'm going to kill you._

 _Kikuyu!_

 _Mother!_

 _Go. Get a knife from the kitchen, and I'm going to kill you._

Shaking, Jun had no idea if she was serious or not. However, she ached so much; she might as well be dead. Stumbling, she stands up. Her mother's face did not change, and so, she walked slowly to the direction of the kitchen. Her father and brother stood on the side in shock. Her sister was nowhere to be found. Huh. How ironic that she felt that she missed her sister the most at moments like these.

 _Stop._

Jun stopped.

 _Come back._

Jun turned around and walked back. She and her mother were face to face. Suddenly- _Slap!_

Jun's neck snapped to the side. A dark red splotch bloomed on her cheek. Gingerly, she lifted her fingers to touch it. It stung. It was burning.

 _Get out of my sight._

Numbly, she walks out of the living room. She could hear her brother and father yelling at her mother. _They shouldn't blame mother for my mistakes._ Jun knew her father, being the French romantic he was, would never raise his hands to his child, even his yelling was rare. When he was mad, he would usually speak passive-aggressively.

Her mother was scarier by comparison. She would have no problems dishing out harsh punishments, like tonight.

Jun crawls under the covers and cries herself to sleep yet again.

The next morning, at school… was simply madness. People whispered behind her back, about how she fucked Roan Shaku, how her family disowned her. It still wasn't over, and the tennis ball hitting her face seemed to reawaken some of those rumours.


	6. VI

VI

 _Why do you say these things? If I agree, what will that make me? A home-wrecker! A slut! Think about this logically. Nothing is going to happen._

 _What if it did?_

Shishido sat with Jun until the nurse came. She took one look at Jun's bloodied face, and told her to go home. Which was a terrible inconvenience since no one was home. She supposes she could walk the five kilometers, but then she might as well have stayed at school for the afternoon classes. Usually her driver picked her up but he was taking a short break after getting a terrible case of the flu. Shun was supposed to pick her up today after his work.

 _Well? Do you have anyone to pick you up sweetie?_

Her voice was dripping with sweetness. It sounded so fucking condescending, as if she knew that Jun was the outcast and couldn't be bothered with giving a damn.

 _Yes, I'll be going._

 _Take care then, darling._

There was no way Jun was staying in that office until her brother came. In fact, she wasn't even going to call him. No way was she going to go out of her way to annoy him.

 _Hey! Hey| Jun! Where do you think you're going?_

Shishido crossed his arm and looked pointedly at Jun as she moved to go further into the school.

 _Class. Where do you think?_

Scoffing, Shishido closed the distance between them, arms now on Jun's shoulders.

 _If you think I'm going to let you go to class with half of your face covered in gauze, you're sorely mistaken._

 _I feel fine._

 _If Atobe hears about this, I'll be in so much trouble._

With that, Shishido leads Jun by the shoulders out of the school and to the empty parking lot.

 _Tell me where you live. We're going to your home. Do you still live at the elementary school?_

 _No, we moved. Why are we going again?_

 _No one's coming to pick you up right? I'll give you a ride. So, tell me your address._

Jun considered rejecting the offer, but it had been a long time since she talked to Shishido. The last time she was in the same car as him, his parents were driving her to her house as well. It was back in middle school, when she had come to watch his tennis competition against Fudomine.

 _My house is on the same street as Atobe's, Iyukono, house number 2342. We have that dome archway._

 _As expected of the Hadaka family. Iyukono is the nicest area around here in Tokyo._

The ride was awkward, conversation one-sided. Shishido spoke in elaborate lengths over the silence, but Jun didn't make much contributions. The years of separation made them forget about their similar interests. Jun thinks back to the tennis competition. They had been so friendly, so familiar with each other. She remembers that Shishido won. She remembers the sweat dripping from his hair, which was quite long for a boy. His eyes, brimming with excitement, and she remembers herself. She used to be so happy for him. They hugged and she celebrated as if it was her on that court. Where had that impressionable, joyous young girl gone? Shishido was still the same as always; talking a lot, animated, expressional. Jun was different; quiet, reserved, withdrawn. Perhaps she should be more extroverted. Yes, that would help them connect. Jun wanted to be friends with Shishido, anyways.

 _I don't usually hut people with tennis balls, ya know?, that's not my style._

 _Actually, you know the guy from Rikkaidai, Akaya?_

 _Yeah. That's weird for you to know. Are you a stalker of some kind?_

 _Well, you know how it is, unrequited love and all that._

A loud horn beeps behind them. Then, a head full of silver hair pops out the window.

 _Shit! It's Atobe! He knows I skipped practice._

 _Well, you could say he is chasing after your tail._

…

 _What? It's good. Look, just pull over, and you can explain yourself._

Wordlessly, Shishido pulls over and stops the car. Atobe's car follows close behind.

 _Shishido, Ore-sama commanded you to take Hadaka to the infirmary, not your car._

 _The nurse said she had to go home, her family is busy. I was being responsible and made sure she would get home safely, as you would expect out of a respectable young man such as me._

Jun could not help the snort that escaped. Atobe did not look amused and was about to retort, but looked at Jun's gauze covered face and decided otherwise.

 _Perhaps you can learn something about real respect after running an extra 20 laps at practice tomorrow. Right now, take Hadaka home. Ore-sama needs to do some damage control._

Snapping his fingers, Kabaji emerges from the car and opens the door for Atobe. He walks in with one last glance, sending a smirk to a frustrated Shishido. As they drive away, Shishido and Jun go back in their car. They sit in stony silence for a couple minutes as Jun wallows in guilt.

 _Hey, it's not your fault you know. Atobe is a huge softie inside. He's just worried that I'll kidnap you or something like that._

 _Really? He seemed so angry._

 _He's always like that. Don't worry. You probably scared him with all that blood._

Jun wrinkled her nose. _I wasn't bleeding that badly._

 _Yeah right. I'm pretty sure that you left a trail of blood to the nurses office. Have you seen yourself, with half of your face covered with gauze?_

Stealing a quick glance at the rearview mirror showed Jun her blotchy and swollen face.

 _All right, I do look like shit._

Shishido let out a bark of laughter.

 _Well, I wouldn't go as far as shit…_

Jun allows herself to smile as she glanced over at Shishido. It was the first in a long time since she's seen him up close like this. Shishido notices her staring, and looks her way. Jun flinches, averting her eyes to outside the window. The awkward silence comes back, but this time, Shishido has run out of things to say.


End file.
